University of Washington Box 351525 Psychology Writing Center

University of Washington
Psychology Writing Center
http://www.psych.uw.edu/psych.php#p=339
Box 351525
psywc@uw.edu
(206) 685-8278
How and When to Cite Other People’s Work
Plagiarism occurs whenever you use the ideas or writings of another as your own without giving due
credit. According to the Committee on Academic Conduct (1994, p. 23), a student commits plagiarism
by:
1. Using another writer's words without proper citation. If you use another writer's words, you must
place quotation marks around the quoted material and include a footnote or other indication of the
source of the quotation.
2. Using another writer's ideas without proper citation. When you use another author's ideas, you
must use a citation to indicate where this information was found. Your instructors want to know
which ideas and judgments are yours and which you arrived at by consulting other sources. Even if
you arrived at the same judgment on your own, you need to acknowledge that the writer you
consulted also came up the idea.
3. Citing your source but reproducing the exact words of a printed source without quotation
marks. This makes it appear that you have paraphrased rather than borrowed the author's exact
words.
4. Borrowing the structure of another author's phrases or sentences without crediting the author
from whom it came. This kind of plagiarism usually occurs out of laziness: it is easier to replicate
another writer's style than to think about what you have read enough to be able put it in your own
words. Below are examples of unacceptable and acceptable paraphrasing (Hacker, 1989, p. 171):
Original: If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for
animal behaviorists.
Unacceptable borrowing of words: An ape who knew sign language unsettled linguists and startled
animal behaviorists.
Unacceptable borrowing of sentence structure: If the presence of a sign-language-using chimp was
disturbing for scientists studying language, it was also surprising to scientists studying animal
behavior.
Acceptable paraphrasing: When they learned of an ape's ability to use sign language, both linguists
and animal behaviorists were taken by surprise.
5. Borrowing all or part of another student's paper, or using someone else's outline to write your
own paper.
6. Using a paper writing "service" or having a friend write the paper for you. Regardless of
whether you pay a stranger or have a friend do it, it is a breach of academic honesty to hand in work
that is not your own or to use parts of another student's paper.
Copyright 1997, University of Washington
howtocite.pdf
University of Washington
Psychology Writing Center
http://www.psych.uw.edu/psych.php#p=339
Box 351525
psywc@uw.edu
(206) 685-8278
Consequences of Plagiarism at the University of Washington
According to the College of Arts and Sciences, "an instructor need not give credit for work which is the
product of cheating, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct. However, the lowering of a course grade
is not appropriate as a disciplinary sanction." Put simply, a plagiarized paper deserves a grade of zero.
Another course of action is to refer the case to the College Disciplinary Committee and give the student a
grade of Incomplete until the matter is resolved. The result of a plagiarism conviction is usually academic
probation. For more information, see the Statement of Academic Responsibility in the UW Bachelor's
Degree Handbook.
How to Avoid Plagiarism
Understand your subject! Often students will want to recopy entire sections of a scientific paper -- with or
without crediting the original author -- because they don't really understand what they are writing. If you
can't put the information into your own words, you aren't ready to write about it. To learn how to
paraphrase what you want to write, try to explain it to someone else without referring to your source.
Use others' ideas or writing as support for, not in place of, your own ideas. If your ideas come directly
from another source, cite that source.
When taking notes for a paper, always distinguish your ideas from those of your source. Establish a
consistent pattern. For example, write information obtained from another source in brackets or
parentheses, and write your own ideas without brackets. Or use different colors of ink to distinguish
between original and non-original ideas.
Always paraphrase unless you are quoting directly. Rework an idea and shorten it. If the idea is new, or
not common knowledge, cite the source.
When to Use Quotation Marks
Use quotation marks whenever you use someone else's words, but use direct quotes sparingly (e.g., to
support your point with the words of an authority, or when original wording is unusual, strong, or
characteristic of the speaker). Writing in your own words, using a few quotes to strengthen your main
points, shows that you understand your topic. Stringing quotes together suggests that you don't.
Arguments made in scientific writing rarely focus on the specific words used in the source material -unlike arguments made in literary criticism, for example -- so quotes are seldom used in scientific writing.
When to Use Footnotes or Citations
Anytime that you quote someone, you must refer to the source and exact page number. If you are
paraphrasing another writer's ideas or opinions, or information that is not common knowledge, you must
cite the source. Citations are important, not only because they give credit to the original author, but also
because they allow your reader to find the original information.
References
Committee on Academic Conduct. (1994). Bachelor's Degree Handbook, University of Washington.
Hacker, D. A. (1989). A Writer's Reference. New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press.
Copyright 1997, University of Washington
howtocite.pdf